6. Ondine’s Curse
Seventeen-year-old Liam Derbyshire has Ondine’s Curse. It only happens to 1 in 30 million people. Ondine’s Curse is a disorder in which a person stops breathing when they fall asleep. If they fall asleep, they may die within one hour. In 2006, there were only about 200 cases known worldwide. Patients need a tracheostomy, which means doctors stick a tube in the neck to help breathing. Patients also spend a lifetime near mechanical ventilation to survive. Whenever they do fall asleep, a machine plugs into the tubes to assure breathing. Liam’s parents must make sure he doesn’t get tired or nod off for a nap. And when they go for a drive, his parents must constantly watch him, while also watching the road, making sure he stays awake. Ondine’s Curse is so rare, many physicians have never seen a case of it, and may miss the diagnosis.
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